(Biweekly Poll Winner) The Comfort of Another (Nephenee/Kiran from Fire Emblem)

The warm aroma of the hot springs was something you always found comforting, especially after a week of frequent skirmishes. The current war was not being especially kind to you nor the other individual currently using the facility, so the chance to relax was welcome.

You had yet to enter the springs, however, for you were waiting for your partner to join you. Thanks to your status, you were able to temporarily book the hot springs for personal use, and you had invited a special person to join you.

Nephenee initially rejected your invitation to join you in the hot springs. She was not used to such extravagances. She was a country gal first and foremost, so the elegance of Askr was not something she could ever get fully used to. In fact, she’d rarely be present in the castle, opting to visit the local villages and aid the local townsfolk with whatever problems they had.

It was this new lifestyle she found that ended up fascinating you, and you ended up tagging along with her and learning more about Askr’s ordinary citizens. The royal family was popular and tales of your exploits-- and more importantly your appearance, were no doubt fresh in the common folk’s minds, so you ended up discarding the usual attire and wearing something more informal whenever these visits happened.

Truthfully, your reason for aiding Nephenee was initially a selfish one. She was a rough and tough gal, but her physical appearance juxtaposed that entirely. Well, you assumed that, since she opted to wear armor almost always. You weren’t sure you had ever seen her without her helmet on. Although your interest sparked due to physical attraction, it helped you learn more about her, and you properly began to have quite the crush on her.

You kept that to yourself though, mostly since you were happy with the friendship and didn’t want to do anything to risk it.

The invitation to the hot springs was thanks to noticing she was growing increasingly exhausted, yet never once asked for a break. She was not traditionally stubborn; this was just the life she was familiar with as an ordinary villager girl. Of course, wanting to see her without her helmet on was a slight influence too.

She rejected, for she still had work to do in the village she was helping that day. Fortunately, you were able to enlist the aid of a few heroes from Fiana who were familiar with village upkeeping to take her place for the day.

The idea still left her a little hesitant, but the assistance of curiosity helped her make a decision.

You were now sat by the springs, ready to enter it at a moment’s notice, but you wanted to wait for her to get ready first.

“H-Hey...” you heard her quiet voice call out to you, right on time.

When you turned your head to face her… you couldn’t quite believe what you were seeing.

You had expected to see her standing awkwardly with a towel around her body, barely covering her features. Of course, you weren’t going to admit to her that the idea of seeing her figure was an additional factor that led to your invitation. Still, you had no plans to do anything other than gawk a little. In fact, the idea of doing anything with Nephenee felt… wrong. There was nothing wrong with her body, of course, you just felt like she was too… pure. You had no desire to taint her with your wild fantasies. Just being able to see her would be enough to entertain your private thoughts. You didn’t need anything else. Your main priority was just to give her an opportunity to relax, and you were not going to deviate from that one bit.

Nephenee seemed to know how hot springs worked, thankfully. She had taken some time to come out, so you were concerned that she might not be familiar with the activity, thus causing some delay. She had a large towel around her body which covered her well, but it still showed off her legs well and teased her cleavage.

...but you feared burning this scene into your memory was going to be an impossible task.

“Do I… look a’right?” she asked timidly. “This hot bath ain’t something I’m used to… but I don’t mind sharin’ it with ya.”

“Nephenee…” you muttered.

“...what is it? You are lookin’ at me kind of funny,” she bit her lip, not particularly sure how to react to your staring. Nephenee was familiar with the idea that men could stare at her improperly, naturally, but she wasn’t seeing that look in your eyes. She saw… confusion, and it was subsequently confusing her too. “Say somethin'…”

“Nephenee, why are you still wearing your helmet?”

In hindsight, you probably should have expected this. She was notorious for wearing that thing everywhere. You wouldn’t be surprised if she even wore it in her sleep.

“...am I not supposed ta?”

“Well, no…” you were still astonished by what you were seeing. Her helmet clashed with well, everything, really. “Look-- do you wear a helmet when you have a bath?”

“I see ya point,” she surprisingly giggled. “I’m always used ta wearin’ this thing when doin’ new things. Old habits die 'ard.”

That was honestly a logical explanation. She was probably so used to wearing it that not having it on made her feel less safe. “Well, I assure you, there’s nothing to fear here, Nephenee. The hot springs are secure. You can sit back and relax.”

“Not used ta relaxing, but I’ll try,” she answered.

You figured the most memorable part of this day would be seeing her almost enter the springs with her helmet on.

You were sorely mistaken.

Nephenee heeded your advice by reaching her hands up to her helmet, ready to take it off. However, by doing so, the grip on her towel was lost.

Within an instant, Nephenee revealed her nude body to you. While she worked on removing her helmet, you saw everything she had to offer. Her chest was predictably the most attractive part. She was surprisingly busty; her armor had done a good job of hiding her bosom, for there was plenty to see now. You could just about see the sweat dripping off them thanks to the heat of the hot springs too. Her hips were also well defined and complimented her legs well. Although you were granted a good look at the latter before, the towel hid how large her thighs were well.

All in all, Nephenee may just be a village girl, but her body was akin to that of a goddess. You couldn’t decide whether she was more beautiful or sexy, but both feelings being very prominent showed how gorgeous she was.

...and when you finally saw the crown of her hair, free from the captivity of her helmet, you started to genuinely believe she was a goddess. Something about seeing her full face was almost wrong, like it wasn’t Nephenee. You couldn’t blame yourself for those thoughts though; everything about her far exceeded any expectations you had. She was nothing short of spectacular.

“...I guess this is ta first time you have seen my face proper,”

Was she really focusing on that? Sure, it was a prominent reveal… but had she forgotten that her large breasts were on full display too? It was honestly taking away from the face reveal, and that was a little frustrating! You wanted to focus on her beauty, not how much you really wanted to play with those things!

...you were very glad the hot springs concealed anything that was submerged well.

“...y-yes, yes it is,” you hoped she wouldn’t notice how unfortunately unstable your voice had become.

Nephenee used your response as permission to enter the springs. She took her time doing so, for this was still a new activity for her. It did not help your mental state, as the way her body looked as she knelt was also ridiculously alluring. The way her legs slightly spread gave you a decent glimpse at her pussy… and you couldn’t keep your eyes off it during the time it took for her to get into the hot springs.

It was disappointing to see most of her body concealed by the water, but you considered yourself lucky for the healthy gaze you were gifted with in the first place. Fortunately, it did help stabilise your mind. Shockingly, she had made no comment on your staring, but there was a chance she didn’t care, or didn’t even notice.

“Ah… this ain’t half bad…” she hummed, soaking in the heat of the springs for the first time. The plus side to having her nude body concealed was that you were able to focus on the beauty of her face without any distractions. Thus, the staring didn’t stop.

You recalled she had said something, and that she’d probably notice if you didn’t respond. You swallowed and gathered your thoughts. “It’s good, isn’t it? Aha…”

“Yeah… warmest bath I’ve ever ‘ad,” she sounded happy. “Now then, whose back is bein' washed first?”

“...come again?” you weren’t sure if you had heard her correctly or not. As you played her comment back in your head, you started to realize that she had always referred to the hot springs as a ‘bath’.

“Ain’t that what it’s all about?” she asked. “The reason ya invited me? You wanted someone to chat ta while washin’. I get it, and I trust ya not to make it weird, so wanna go first?”

...you were flabbergasted with what you were hearing. Did Nephenee know that hot springs were simply for relaxing? Where did this warped idea come from?

You sighed. You should have expected something like this, but you would be a fool to not seize the opportunity while you could. Besides, Nephenee acknowledged that things could get weird, and she even commented that she trusted you not to make it that way, so she was at least aware things could get sexual. More importantly, she stressed that she didn't want it to head in that direction, and you were fine with that.

Well… there was that earlier stunt of hers to consider. Why would she say such things after showing you her naked body so freely? Did she not consider how it would affect your head?

“...sure…” you weren’t really thinking when you answered her.

Nephenee smiled warmly. She was currently sitting down in the springs, but if she wanted to wash your back, she had to get closer to you, and well…

You saw her magnificent body once again, and this time it was even more beautiful. Her entire body was shimmering thanks to the water, and seeing the liquid drip down her body enchanted the overall look. It was starting to make you wonder if Nephenee was doing this on purpose; surely she knew how unbelievably attractive she was, right? You knew by this point that she knew about sex, so she had to know that showing off her body like that was well… weird. It contradicted her words entirely, and that was messing with your head, and-

You were forced out of your thoughts by Nephenee sitting next to you, letting you see that radiant smile up close.

“Turn to ya side,” she instructed. “Can’t wash ya back if you’re sat like that.”

“Y-Yes, of course…” you were at her beck and call.

Despite your body being coated in a veil of heat, it could not dwindle your nervous shaking. That feeling escalated when you felt the touch of her body against your own. Her hands were predictably soft, and were awakening sensitivities on your back that you didn’t even know existed. Her fingers trailed around your shoulder blades for a while, before rejoining the rest of her hand. As she did this, you felt her legs brush up against your sides, signalling she was spreading them open so she could shuffle closer to you.

Although your mind was volatile and in the midst of being consumed by confusion and excitement, you at least knew one thing for certain.

...she was not washing your back. This was more of a … massage, than anything else. You weren’t complaining though, even if her hands felt explorative, signifying this was as new to her as it was to you.

“How ya feelin’?” she questioned.

“It feels nice…” you answered truthfully, mesmerized by what she was doing.

“I’m glad,” she said, though you detected a strange shyness to her voice. You heard her exhale and retreat her hands, and it made you wonder if you had done something wrong somehow, even though you clearly hadn’t.

When she next touched your back, it felt… different. There was a strange squishiness to her touch, and your confusion escalated when her hands wrapped around your hips, stopping on your stomach. You shivered at the sudden sensation, not too sure how to comprehend it.

“How about this?” she whispered into your ear.

“Nephenee… I don’t think this is exactly ‘back washing’,” you commented.

“I know that,” she giggled, proceeding to say… nothing else. She merely rested her head on your shoulder, relaxing her body.

You were thankful for the time to process what the heck was happening. If her hands were holding you, that meant there was only one thing that could be pushing up against your back.

Correction. Two things.

Perhaps you had underestimated how daring this girl really was.

“Ya said the hot springs were meant for relaxin’, so I thought ya would appreciate this,” she spoke again, and it once again confused your mind.

Every single time you thought Nephenee had revealed that she was secretly a lewd girl, she would then say something that sounded really innocent! Did she know this, or were you interpreting things poorly? You honestly had no idea, and it was maddening!

Feeling her large breasts pushing up against your back wasn’t helping your train of thought either.

You could ask her, but doing so was… awkward. You weren’t exactly sure what you could even say without it sounding weird, and she asked you not to make it weird… but she was making it weird!

“I like huggin’ ya,” she said. “Do ya feel good?”

“...you already know the answer,” you somehow answered her, making her laugh a little. It was heartwarming, and her desire to make you comfortable was actually relaxing your body. Resting in the hot springs felt terrific, but Nephenee being your cushion was making the experience significantly more tranquil.

You soon learned she wasn’t done with making you feel even more wonderful either. Nephenee took advantage of her position, leaning back against the edge of the hot springs whilst simultaneously sitting up. It was a gradual shift in posture, but it had the effect of making you fall back with her. The decrease in height wasn’t so bad, for you were now resting the back of your head against something awfully squishy and soft.

Due to the feeling of tremendous relaxation, you didn’t initially notice what those things were. However, your eyes absolutely saw the two mounds on her chest reveal themselves as they rubbed against your cheeks. You continued to sink, revealing more of her bosom, and not even the wonderful feelings you were experiencing could stop you from realizing what was happening.

Nephenee had purposefully positioned herself so you were resting in her cleavage.

This was unreal. You had never felt this good. This wasn’t a dream, was it?

“You work hard for us, y’know,” she spoke again. “So I’m glad you’re relaxed.”

Her words were quiet and soothing to listen to, but you did feel a little bad that you were the one receiving this special treatment. Despite the unique predicament you were in, you managed to swallow your nerves and comprehensively speak. “You... work just as hard as me, if not harder.”

“Hey now...” she was playing that game. “That’s not true. You do so much for us all…”

“And I'll keep saying the same right back at you, Nephenee,” you answered. Your eyes were beginning to grow blurry. Was it thanks to the surreal comfort you were feeling? You suspected as such.  “...There’s a reason I invited you to the hot springs, you know...”

Nephenee took a moment to respond. You couldn’t see her expression unfortunately, but you could imagine her face was either shy, or deep in thought. Likely both.

“Guess we both don’t realise how much we work,” she spoke somberly. “The reason I agreed after you recruited those Fiana folks was because I thought it would help ya relax if I well... helped ya with it too.”

Her comment made you smile, all thanks to how revealing it was. Both you and she had downplayed your own achievements quite a bit, and had complimented the other’s instead. The only reason you were in these hot springs currently was because you and she thought the other needed it.

“...so that’s why you’re holding me like this?”

“Um… yeah,” she sounded timid. “Never really done this thing with a guy before, so… sorry if I’ve made things weird. I… can stop, if ya want.”

You had a feeling she was misinterpreting why your voice was so croaky and unstable. It was honestly shocking you didn’t sound even more disorientated; Nephenee was still spooning you after all. Her breasts were still a prominent distraction, and although she had finally explained why she was giving you this treatment, you believed she wasn’t realising how… attractive she actually was right now, both in a traditional sense… and sexually. It was immensely distracting.

You weren’t sure if you were lucky or unlucky that her hand hadn’t curiously slid down your body a few inches.

“No, no, it’s fine, I promise,” you reassured her. “But it’s only fair I return the favor, right?”

“...ya wanna… hold me too?” Nephenee’s reaction was surprisingly adorable. She sounded genuinely perplexed by your comment, but also intrigued.

“...if you don’t mind, of course,” you gave her an out, just in case the idea made her feel uncomfortable.

Although she continued to hold onto you for a few more moments, Nephenee eventually let go of your body. Once again, it was a gradual shift, so you had time to react to it. Almost immediately, you missed its warmth, having grown accustomed to the feeling of her body resting against yours. You shifted your body around to face her, discovering that she was wearing the most bashful of blushes.

“Well, I…” she trailed off, not too sure what to say.

Her awkwardness was adorable and assuring. If she was feeling just as shy about things as you were, talking to her would be a lot easier.

“Sure, I’d like that...” she almost squealed. It was a little uncharacteristic for her to sound so girly, but you adored it. Mimicking your earlier actions, she turned around. Her hair was messy thanks to the water, but she took some time to fling it over to her front, exposing her back.

“...ah… alright then...” you murmured, shuffling closer towards her.

Seeing her like this was another reminder of how simultaneously awkward yet exciting this all was. It was inconceivable that Nephenee was able to keep her cool while holding you, for the very idea of doing the same to her was making you frustratingly nervous.

You never expected you'd do this. Your mind had obviously hoped for things to escalate, but you were under the assumption that the most you’d get was a glimpse at her body. It was the realistic outcome, after all.

Now, you were about to hold her… while both you and she were naked. For a moment, you wondered again if this was a dream. You prayed it wasn't.

As you started, you quickly realised how truly shocking it was that she didn’t unintentionally touch you inappropriately; the water submerging most of her body and the surrounding steam made it hard to gauge what exactly you were touching, so she would have had the same issue. Eventually, you found what felt like her lower back, and your hands then drifted across to her hips. Even underwater, they were soft and squishy. When you ultimately rested them on her stomach, both you and she relaxed, albeit for different reasons.

“Ah… this is nice,” she was learning why you were enjoying being held so much… more or less.

You shared her sentiment; holding her like this was nothing short of divine, but that moment was short-lived. The feeling of her body close again yours was turning you back on… and that was bad, for she’d undeniably be able to feel it.

But you couldn’t exactly let go, so you were forced to just… let it happen. Your cock brushed up against her lower back, inches away from her ass. While the feeling was unbelievably good, it was shared alongside feelings of dread.

Nephenee did react to it, but the way she did so was unprecedented.

“Hmm… you can hold me more firmly, y'know,” she commented. “Let me show ya.”

Continuing the trend of hypnotizing you through her actions, Nephenee slid her body back against yours. The most notable side-effect of this was that your dick slid up with her, pushed up thanks to her body. Her slight increase in elevation also meant it was now resting between her butt cheeks. You didn’t need to see what was underneath the water to know what was now coiled around your shaft.

If there was ANY remaining doubt in your head that this girl didn't know what she was doing, it was long gone by now.

It was frustrating. Where was this confidence coming from? The unyielding teasing wasn’t even making you feel too flustered anymore. You were honestly more perplexed than anything.

You did know one thing, however.

If she was going to be this daring, it was only fair you mustered some confidence and surprised her with some daring moves of your own.

And that was exactly what you did. There wasn’t a tremendous amount you could do in this position, but her back was fully exposed, giving you one option. The idea was a strange one, but you couldn’t deny you were curious to find out how she would react to it. You leaned your head forward, tightening the grip you had around her waist. As your lips dashed across her spine, you planted a kiss on her back.

Almost instantaneously, you felt her shudder.

“W-What… was that…?” she sounded disorientated. While her tone was a startled one, her subsequent breathing and humming told a different story. She liked what she felt, even if it was a surprise.

It was truthfully a shocking revelation, for you expected her to perhaps encourage your efforts, or at worst, confusingly ask what you were doing. Well, she did do that last one, but you didn’t think she’d act this surprised over it.

Nephenee was perplexed, but she didn’t sound displeased in the slightest. Encouraged by her cute reaction, you gave her a second kiss, but purposefully didn’t back away as much. Her reaction was sublime; the girl hummed as her body marginally wavered from side to side. You had no idea she’d be so sensitive there, but you were absolutely going to use this knowledge to your advantage.

After all, Nephenee had done a fantastic job of making you feel good. You needed to make her experience that same tranquility you experienced. You would be ashamed of yourself if you didn’t.

Kissing her back was luckily very addictive. Not only did it feel good to do so, but both her physical and audible reactions were a pleasure to experience, and they were amplifying in intensity with each kiss. You discovered she was especially sensitive around her shoulder blades, even more so around healed scars from battle. Nephenee wasn’t one to sustain main injuries in fights, but she was still a warrior and had quite a few scars. Fortunately, they were faint and barely noticeable, but you were thankful for their current existence; it was the only way to currently make her moan.

Another merit of kissing her like this was that her back was absurdly warm, undoubtedly thanks to the springs and the shared body heat. It felt wonderful against your chest, even more so when your face rubbed against it whenever you smooched her.

“Ah…” she hummed. “That… feels real nice…”

You didn’t exactly need additional encouragement, but you were glad to hear her approving words anyway. To show you even further how in love she was with your kisses, her hands spread across yours, stopping you from even considering letting go.

Fortunately for Nephenee, you had no plans to do such a thing. Why would you stop embracing her when it made you feel so good-- when it made her feel so good?

You lost track of how long you caressed her back with your lips. You were in a trance at this point, only stopping briefly when you needed to breathe. Every single part of her back was embraced, from her sensitive shoulders to her healing scars.

Honestly, you were kind of afraid about stopping. What would you do after? What would you say? What would she say?

Right now, you were both enjoying each other, mostly ignoring the prospect of that looming conversation; neither you nor her wanted to discuss what the heck was going on between you two, nor what it meant. Not now, at least.

Nephenee continued to enjoy herself significantly. Interestingly, her hands grew shaky for a moment, but you soon found out why; the girl was gathering her confidence, all so she could intersect her fingers between your own. Feeling her fingers coil around yours in such a way was heavenly, and somehow the thing that made your heart beat the fastest.

You figured she was feeling similarly, for it would explain the constant hand shaking.

However, when she used the feeling of your rapid heart beat as fuel to pull her most daring stunt yet, you understood why she was nervous.

Nephenee’s nerves weren’t just because she wanted to hold your hands; that was certainly a contributor, but it was only the first stage to her plan. Thanks to her grip on them, and your current activity loosening the grasp you had on her tummy, it wasn’t difficult for her to lift them off her stomach. You found the notion confusing, but the constant kisses you were giving her back kept most of your attention occupied.

...at least until she lifted your hands onto something very soft, and very squishy.

“...h-how do they feel?” Nephenee asked, her voice leaking all sorts of uncertainty. Although a confident fighter, she was not used to the idea of a man embracing her in such ways. However, she knew one thing; you were making her feel good, so it was only logical you were subsequently rewarded. What better way to do that by giving you something to hold onto-- something that felt wonderful to hold onto, no less.

Nephenee’s breasts were as divine as you imagined them being. Since she had placed them there yourself, you saw no reason to go a little wild with your groping. Your fingers sunk into them deeply, and it wasn’t hard to discover where her nipples were either; they were notably hard, a stark contrast to the rest of her breasts. Nephenee cooed as you dedicated a finger to each one, rubbing them passionately and with increased intensity when you heard her miraculous moans.

You thought kissing her back was a pleasant activity, but doing that while lustfully groping her breasts? You were in heaven, and honestly believed you could do this forever if you wanted to.

“...tell me…” she whispered, reminding you that hadn’t answered her question.

“They… feel wonderful, Nephenee,” you whispered back, purposefully doing so by her ear.

“...I can’t… believe… we’re doin’ this…” she hummed, speaking the same words that had been echoing through your own mind.

“Me neither… but I like it,” you continued, playing with her breasts even more wildly. You simply couldn’t get enough of how she reacted to her nipples being squeezed.

“...don’t stop that… it feels really, really good…”

“I don’t intend to, Nephenee.”

Unable to fully keep herself stable, Nephenee leaned her head back, resting it on your shoulder. It gave you a glimpse at her expression, and it was serene as you expected it to be. The woman was barely able to keep her eyes open, and her voice had betrayed her, letting loose lots of moans whether she liked it or not. It unfortunately prevented you from embracing her back, but she seemed more than happy with just having her breasts played with. On the plus side, the closer proximity did mean you could kiss something else if you wanted to...

“C-Close…” she spoke almost silently. That single word almost made your breathing as rough as hers.

Was she actually close to climaxing?

You gazed down. Though her chest blocked most of the view, you could see her hands were hidden in the water, and her arms were quivering quite a bit.

Nephenee seemed to like surprising you, didn't she? She was actually masturbating!

She didn’t seem content with just pleasuring herself, either. Nephenee started to wiggle her body. It was faint movements, but it felt amazing against your cock, which was still firmly trapped between her ass. You wanted to thrust back, enjoying the cushion she had gifted you, but the position made it difficult. Nevertheless, your focus wasn’t on getting off yourself; now that you knew she was close, you wanted to make her climax.

“I… ah… so…” she mumbled all sorts of words, unable to form a cohesive sentence. The woman was experiencing mind-numbing levels of pleasure. Her hands refused to stop pleasuring her, for doing so would disrupt the rhythm that was leading to her orgasm. Though you initially had groped her wildly without any sort of cadence, you had built up a routine that was providing her with consistent bursts of pleasure.

You wanted to say something to her, but you didn’t want to do anything to disrupt that trance. You merely stared at her pleasured face while she stared at yours, until at long last, she let loose a loud squeal. With it came a body spasm, but you reinforced her by holding her tightly, letting her experience the tranquility of her climax without her balance betraying her.

Never did you think this relaxing hot springs session would lead to something like this, but you were more than happy that expectations had not been met. It was safe to say they had been exceeded, in fact.

Watching her experience an orgasm was nothing short of spectacular. Something so lewd was somehow still beautiful. She was locked in pleasure for some time, but she also appeared to be at peace.

Nephenee was disorientated as her climax came to a close. Such intense emotions didn’t particularly play well with the heat of the springs, but she had you to look after her.

When you heard her lightly snore, you chuckled at the idea that she had fallen asleep.

Then your heart began to beat rapidly. She had chosen to sleep, knowing she was safe in the comfort of your arms. She trusted you.

That realization was… indescribable.

You doubted this was just a crush anymore.

You weren’t even disappointed that you weren't able to get off. You were perfectly content with how things had gone; you had given this girl a wonderful time, and you had no doubt this wouldn’t be the last time you visited the hot springs together.

When Nephenee awoke about half an hour later, she was confused. She looked at you momentarily, looking as if she wasn’t used to your presence.

It was a little amusing to see her slowly remember. So emotions painted her face within the span of a minute.

“Wait.. did we… oh, horsefeathers… I… uh…”

“Take your time, Phenee.”

“Easier for ya to say!” she groaned, looking at you oddly after. “...what’s with the nickname?”

You were glad she noticed. It was something you had thought of during her little slumber. “Don’t like it?”

“Na… that’s not it, I…”

“I think it sounds cute, just like you,” you were honest.

“...what’s with the smooth talkin’ all of a sudden?” she questioned your tone. “I ain’t cute…”

That adorable tone at the end was adorable. She was adorable. Nephenee was adorable! You couldn't get enough of how adorable she was!

“Phenee, I do apologise, but I just had an adorable girl sleep on me in the hot springs,” you explained. “I feel unyieldingly giddy. Please understand."

“When you put it like that, I get it… but... “

Nephenee sighed, abruptly sliding off your body. You let her, figuring she’d appreciate an opportunity to gather her bearings alone for a moment. She rested against a wall close to you, using this time to breathe deeply.

Eventually, she did fully remember what happened, and those memories calmed her down over time. Nephenee wasn’t the kind of person to show an outburst of emotions, so her freak out was rather… moderate.

“...I dunno what to say…” she finally admitted.

“Do you feel relaxed?” you asked.

“Relaxed?” she found your response bizarre. “Well… I suppose I do, but…”

“I’m glad,” you chuckled. “You certainly looked it earlier. Sounded it too.”

“Hey… can ya stop teasing me?” Nephenee grumbled adorably. “This is a mite embarrassing for me, y’know…”

Hearing her mutter like that was cute, but you did genuinely hear some discomfort in her voice.

“...sorry.”

It was an honest apology. You had started to realise that your happiness was masking how uncomfortable she was feeling. Did she still enjoy herself? You had little doubts about that, but she was still processing what had happened.

You already had time to do so, while she hadn't.

Nephenee stood up, revealing her nude body again. However, your focus wasn’t on marveling at her alluring beauty. Instead, you focused on her expression, trying to read her thoughts. She eventually stepped out of the hot springs, gathering the towel she had left on the floor, and of course, her helmet.

“Um…” she spoke quietly, turning to face you one final time. “I, uh… liked today. Sorry if I… am not expressin’ myself well… but I did… and uhm…”

She paused, taking a long drawn-out breath. A bright blush had formed on her face, and seeing it was a reminder of how beautiful she truly was.

“...I like it… the name, I mean… Phenee…”

Nephenee giggled, erasing any dreading doubts in your head.

“I’m glad you had a good time,” you told her. “...would you like to visit the hot springs with me again, someday?”

It took her some time to respond, but you knew it was going to be okay.

“...I’d like that, yeah,” she answered with a smile. "I'll see ya soon."

You watched her leave silently. While you were already starting to miss her, you knew it wouldn’t be long before you saw her again.

You were excited for that moment too. While there would be some understandable awkwardness, you had a good feeling your relationship was going to change for the better. You weren’t sure exactly how though. Would things become romantic, or did she desire something more intimate only? You were excited to find out either way.

Nephenee did have the right idea about one thing though. The appeal of the hot springs had faded for the time being, so it was time for you to leave.

You couldn’t wait to get back to your room either; you had quite a lot of newfound memories to use.